CNN
—
Vice President Kamala Harris visited a family planning clinic in Minnesota on Thursday, in what is believed to be the first time a sitting U.S. president or vice president has visited an abortion provider.
The trip was part of Ms. Harris' effort to highlight issues that her campaign believes will energize moderate voters in November.
“I came to this clinic to uplift the work happening in Minnesota as an example of what true leadership looks like,” Harris told reporters in the clinic's lobby. ” he said.
The vice president visited Minnesota as the sixth stop on his “Fight for Reproductive Freedom” tour. She toured a family planning facility and spoke with staff about reproductive rights.
“The reason I'm here is because this is a medical crisis,” Harris said. “Part of this health crisis is that clinics like this have had to close, which means that for so many women who need this essential care, there is no reasonable geographic location. It means we are running out of options in the area.”
Harris began her tour in Wisconsin in January and has since held events in California, Georgia, Michigan and Arizona.
Harris wanted to visit women's health clinics to meet with patients and health care providers as part of her reproductive rights tour, which began earlier this year, according to people familiar with the matter. It's an extension of a weeks-long tour to highlight issues that are top of mind for voters and where Ms. Harris has emerged as a leading voice.
Harris' team has focused on reproductive rights as a salient political issue, believing it is in a unique position to lead the vice president, given what she considered a successful college campus tour. . The issue has been a top concern for the vice president, dating back to 2021, when she hosted a roundtable on reproductive rights.
Minnesota is the fifth state Harris has visited since the president's State of the Union address last week. The president's prepared remarks in his speech included the word abortion, but the president did not utter the word during his speech.
In 2023, Minnesota's Democratic Governor Tim Walz signed a bill establishing a “fundamental right” to access abortion in the state.
The vice president's visit to Minnesota comes during what the Biden campaign is calling “March Month of Action,” which includes President Joe Biden and Harris visiting every battleground state this month. It also includes a plan.
The vice president used the testimony to highlight the impact of overturning Roe v. Wade.
All of this comes as enthusiasm wanes, recognizing the need to mobilize young voters and voters of color and leveraging what the vice president considers one of his strengths: engaging with people on the streets. It's part of a broader Biden campaign strategy that officials have been planning for months.
However, it was not without its problems.
Harris occasionally encountered protesters during her reproductive freedom tour, including groups who had refused to participate because of Gaza's humanitarian crisis.
The campaign focuses on putting abortion at the center of its message and seeks to win over moderate voters, especially women.
About half of registered U.S. voters say this year's election will have a “significant impact” on access to abortion, and about one in eight voters say abortion is on their ballot, according to a new KFF poll. states that this is the most important motivating issue.
This story was updated with additional developments Thursday.
